Buchholz won his fourth consecutive decision last Tuesday, shutting out the Orioles over seven innings of three-hit ball at Fenway Park. The 25-year-old right-hander is 4-2 with a 3.00 ERA in seven outings since Aug. 8, posting six quality starts over that span. He has surrendered three runs or fewer in nine of 11 appearances this season.

There is an obvious difference in innings pitched, but: ERA+s going into this series: Buchholz 121, Beckett 122.

Toss out his crappy August 24 start against the White Sox and Buchholz has a 1.79 ERA (eight runs in 40.1 innings) since August 8.

Big Bats: Victor Martinez has a 13-game hitting streak (.356, 16-for-45), Kevin Youkilis is hitting .500 (24-for-48) against the Rays this season, and Alex Gonzalez has hit safely in 13 of his last 14 games (.333, 17-for-51).

"Now I realize that if I, for instance, joke around about a curse ... oooeuff! Some people seem to take everything seriously in sports -- everything. I don’t know how anyone can take curses seriously!I kidded about Yankees Universe and the fact that Red Sox Nation has ceded many of the planets in our own solar system to the Yanks ... oh boy. Some took great offense. “SOX OWNER BASHES YANKS!”So let's be clear. This blog will often be written with a sense of humor. And it will be controversial for at least a couple of reasons. Number one -- I'm writing it. Number two -- I have had a lifelong tendency to be blunt."